Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas | MLS Match Preview

PORTLAND TIMBERS vs FC DALLAS
JELD-WEN FIELD, Portland, Ore.
June 15, 2013 (WEEK 16, MLS Game #136) 2 p.m. PT (ESPN/Deportes)

The Portland Timbers put their long undefeated run on the line with a major test as MLS overall leaders FC Dallas come to Jeld-Wen Field for a Saturday afternoon match before an ESPN audience. The Timbers are unbeaten in 12 league games after their 2-2 draw at the Chicago Fire last weekend. FC Dallas still sit atop the Western Conference and MLS overall table after their 2-2 draw at Colorado two weeks ago. The teams have also now arranged a meeting in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals in two weeks, after coming through fourth-round matches with wins at midweek.

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REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Craig Lowry; AR2 (opposite): Ian Anderson; 4th: Daniel Radford
MLS Career: 16 games; FC/gm: 23.8; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 7; pens: 6

DISABLED LIST: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: POR: Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Will Johnson, Ben Zemanski
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: POR: Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica) … DAL: Blas Perez (Panama); Raul Fernandez (Peru); Richard Sanchez (Mexico U-20); Kellyn Acosta (USA U-20)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (6 meetings): Timbers 1 win, 6 goals …FC Dallas 2 wins, 14 goals … Ties 3
AT PORTLAND (2 meetings): Timbers 1 wins, 4 goals … FC Dallas 0 wins, 3 goals … Ties 1
FUTURE MATCH: 8/17: Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas, 8 p.m. PT

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. A late Kenny Cooper penalty kick for FC Dallas canceled out a Darlington Nagbe goal seven minutes earlier to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw, May 8 in Frisco.
• The Timbers have not defeated FC Dallas now in five meetings, since winning the first match ever between the clubs, April 17, 2011 at Jeld-Wen Field.
• The Timbers are undefeated at home against FC Dallas, with a draw to go with the inaugural win in the series in two meetings at Jeld-Wen Field.
• The teams will also now meet in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on June 26 at FC Dallas Stadium, after each came through with home wins in fourth-round matches at midweek.
• Coaches record: Caleb Porter vs. DAL: P1 W0 L0 D1 … Schellas Hyndman vs. POR: P6 W2 L1 D3

LAST MEETING (MLS)
5/8: DAL 1, POR 1 (Cooper 77 – Nagbe 70)

• The Timbers finally broke the deadlock in the 70th minute. Second-half substitute Rodney Wallace sent a cross from the left side of the box and found Darlington Nagbe at the far post, and he coolly volleyed the ball into the net for the opener.
• But FC Dallas equalized seven minutes later when Portland center back Andrew Jean-Baptiste was whistled for dragging down Blas Pérez in the box, and referee Juan Guzman pointed to the spot. Kenny Cooper converted the penalty kick past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to preserve the draw.
• FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Raul Fernandez - Zach Loyd, London Woodberry, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez - Je-Vaughn Watson, Michel (Bobby Warshaw 71) - Kenny Cooper, David Ferreira (Eric Hassli 53), Fabian Castillo - Blas Perez.
• PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-1-2-3): Donovan Ricketts - Michael Harrington, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Mamadou Danso, Jack Jewsbury - Diego Chara, Will Johnson - Diego Valeri (Ben Zemanski 75) - Darlington Nagbe, Frederic Piquionne (Ryan Johnson 82), Kalif Alhassan (Rodney Wallace 63).

PORTLAND TIMBERS
The Portland Timbers extended their club-record undefeated run to 12 games, despite settling for a 2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at Toyota Park. The Timbers are in third place in the Western Conference with 23 points from 14 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The Timbers opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. Diego Valeri collected a flick-on by Frederic Piquionne at the top of the box, carved out some space then beat Sean Johnson from the top of the box.
• The lead was doubled just before the hour mark when Ben Zemanski scored his first goal of the season finishing off a nice team movement with a blast from well outside the area that slipped inside the right post.
• But the Fire pulled a goal back in the 68th minute. Alex played a through ball to Mike Magee in the box, and after defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste couldn't clear it, Mike Magee finished with an easy tap-in goal.
• The leveler came eight minutes from the end. After some sustained Chicago pressure, Magee earned a free kick that Daniel Paladini bent around the wall and beat Portland goalkeeper Milos Kocic.
• Timbers head coach Caleb Porter made three changes to the team that claimed a 2-0 win over D.C. United at RFK Stadium. Milos Kocic came in between the posts, Ben Zemanski came into the midfield and Diego Valeri returned to the side, with Donovan Ricketts, Rodney Wallace and Ryan Johnson all on international duty.
• PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-1-2-3): Milos Kocic - Jack Jewsbury, Pa Modou Kah, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Michael Harrington - Diego Chara, Ben Zemanski - Will Johnson - Diego Valeri (Sal Zizzo 67), Frederic Piquionne (Jose Adolfo Valencia 87), Darlington Nagbe

TEAM NEWS

• The Timbers concluded their three-game road swing in league play with a victory and two draws, and are still the only team in MLS undefeated on the road this season (2-0-6).
• “It’s a bit of a bitter pill but I think we will learn from it, we will be better from it. We didn’t lose the game. We still got a point; we’re still unbeaten on the road. In 14 games, there’s only been one team that’s beaten us,” said Timbers head coach Caleb Porter. “So I think it’s a great thing. We are still getting points but we’re a little bit ticked off leaving this game feeling like we left two points slip away.”
• Making his first start since March 30, Ben Zemanski scored his first goal of the season, the seventh Timbers player to hit the back of the net this season.
• “Whenever you have guys out of the lineup on international duties or injuries or anything like that you need other guys to step up and help the team continue to get points and continue this good run of games,” Zemanski said. “I’m looking forward to stepping up for the team and doing my part to help out.”
• Fredéric Piquionne made a second consecutive start for the first time in league play this season, and played a part in both Portland goals with an assist. He has three assists in those two games, which sandwiched a four goal performance in 45 minutes of work in the Timbers’ third-round Open Cup win vs. Wilmington.
• With Donovan Ricketts away on international duty, Milos Kocic made his first league start for the Timbers between the posts. He made his club debut in the Open Cup win vs. Wilmington.
• “We’ve got a squad and we’ve had to use our squad quite a bit for different reasons and guys have come in and given us boosts in games and now they get an opportunity to earn more minutes,” Timbers captain Will Johnson said.
• On Wednesday, the Timbers advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup with a 2-0 victory against the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies at Jeld-Wen Field. Michael Nanchoff sent the Timbers on their way with a ninthminute goal and Jack Jewsbury sealed the tie with a 55th-minute strike. The Timbers will travel to FC Dallas for the June 26 quarterfinal.
• Here’s the Timbers side: Milos Kocic, Sal Zizzo, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Rauwshan McKenzie, Ryan Miller, Diego Valeri (Jack Jewsbury 46), Ben Zemanski, Michael Nanchoff, Kalif Alhassan (Steven Evans 76), Frederic Piquionne (Darlington Nagbe 57), Jose Adolfo Valencia.

READ: Three for Thursday: Three teams built to win the 2013 US Open Cup

FC DALLAS
FC Dallas return to action after a week off, their last league match a 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids on June 1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. FCD sit atop the Western Conference and the MLS overall table with 28 points from 14 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The game's four goals all came in a 10-minute span early in the second half. The Rapids took the lead in the 56th minute when Marvell Wynne’s throw-in near the touchline went straight into the center of the box, and Atiba Harris followed with a clean header right into the corner of the net.
• But five minutes later, the visitors had their first reply. Clearing away a Dallas cross, Harris’ header deflected off a teammate and straight to Blas Perez, who fired into the corner of the net to beat Rapids ‘keeper Clint Irwin.
• Just three minutes later, the Rapids were back in front. A looping cross into the box from Rapids left back Chris Klute was met by a wide open Harris, who had a simple finish for his second goal of the game.
• But FC Dallas waited just two minutes to reply. A long Dallas cross onto the edge of the box floated for Perez, who clinically finished with a scorching low drive from 20 yards out to even the game.
• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made three changes to the team that defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 in Frisco. Matt Hedges came into central defense in place of Walker Zimmerman, Andrew Jacobson came into the midfield for Je-Vaughn Watson, and Blas Perez started up top in place of Kenny Cooper.
• FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Raul Fernandez - Zach Loyd, George John, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez (London Woodberry 88) - Andrew Jacobson, Michel - Jackson, David Ferreira (Eric Hassli 90), Fabian Castillo (Ramon Nunez 85) - Blas Perez.

READ: USOC - "Difference maker" Michel's set pieces fuel Dallas' attack
TEAM NEWS

• Blas Perez scored his first goal since April 20, hitting for two goals in a game for the second time in his two MLS seasons (also doing last Sept. 29 at San Jose).
• “We didn’t create ourselves a lot of chances, we were banged up. But at the same time you know we stuck to our game plan and I’m very happy to come away with a point,” said FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman. “ … Blas didn’t get a lot of chances but he was pretty damn good on his finishing, wasn’t he?”
• Pérez will miss the Portland match while on national team duty – but he was not available either for Panamá for the crunch World Cup qualifier against the USA on Tuesday, suffering from gastroenteritis.
• “When you’re on the road, altitude, difficult times. … we’ve got a player gone with the national team, leaving us with two starters at home,” said Hyndman. “So we had a lot of reasons to fold but I think it showed a lot of character on our part to go down and come back, go down again, and come back. And I just congratulated the boys on what great character they have. And for us, we got another point to keep us right where we want to be in the league.”
• After a four-match absence, Andrew Jacobson returned to the FC Dallas lineup, playing the full 90 minutes in the center of midfield alongside Michel.
• “I’m still a little rusty but it felt good to get out there and do a little bit of running. I got a little tired towards the end. Touch felt OK. It’s just getting back that match sharpness. It’s been a month but I felt good,” said Jacobson.
• Striker Kenny Cooper missed his first league game of the season, kept out of the team after suffering a concussion in the May 25 win against San Jose that forced him off after 68 minutes.
• “We just wanted to be a little bit safe and didn’t take him to Colorado,” Hyndman said. “We’ll get him training and bring him along slowly.”
• On Wednesday, FC Dallas reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup with a 3-0 win against the Houston Dynamo in Frisco. Kenny Cooper scored on either side of halftime and Zach Loyd hit for a late capper. FC Dallas will meet the Portland Timbers in a quarterfinal on June 26.
• Here’s the FCD team: Chris Seitz, Zach Loyd, George John (Stephen Keel 88), Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez, Jackson, Michel (Bobby Warshaw 78), Andrew Jacobson, Kenny Cooper, Eric Hassli, Fabian Castillo (David Ferreira 72).